WTC Final: Three Indian players who faltered in the inaugural ICC test event
With the result of the World Test Championship (WTC) not going India's way, fans and experts have already begun dissecting the team's poor performance. Although there were some positives for India to take away from the game, most player-performances were below par.
With the completion of the WTC final, India now have a month off to recover and prepare for a grueling five-match Test series against England. We can expect some changes to be rung in before the England series. Until then, let's take a look at some of the players who failed to make a mark in the marquee ICC test event.
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara failed with the bat in both innings and that was one of the primary reasons behind India's low totals. With scores of 8 and 15, Cheteshwar Pujara failed to make a substantial contribution in the game.
Dropping Ross Taylor in the second innings didn't help his cause as New Zealand eventually notched up an eight-wicket win over India.
#2 Jasprit Bumrah's forgettable WTC outing
The Mumbai pacer went wicketless in both innings and failed to hit the right lengths on a seamer-friendly track.
Bumrah's only chance of getting a wicket in the second innings was that of Ross Taylor when he managed to get the Kiwi batsman to nick one off to Pujara. However, the Indian batsman made a meal of it. The WTC final will be one to forget for Bumrah.
#3 Rishabh Pant
He may have managed to score 41 runs in the second innings of the WTC final, but his audacious swipe in the first innings while batting on four is exactly why he has faced criticism from experts around the world. The shot selection did not improve much in the second innings either. His overall performance saw him earn the wrath of former players and fans.
Pant's rapid ascendancy in Tests took a major hit after a rather average outing in the WTC final. Whether the side gives him another run against England remains to be seen.
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